US20070176456A1 - Automobile movable floor appparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A floor board positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat is allowed to be driven up or down. In an automobile movable floor apparatus, a floor board5that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor3and a raising-lowering drive mechanism6that drives the floor board5to be raised or lowered are provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat4, and a toe board portion8sloping down to the rear and a floor base portion9that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion8are provided in the automobile body floor3. The floor board5includes a toe board corresponding portion18that corresponds to the toe board portion8of the automobile body floor3, and a floor base corresponding portion19that corresponds to the floor base portion9, and the toe board corresponding portion18and the floor base corresponding portion19are formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to an automobile movable floor apparatus in which a floor board that covers the upper face of the automobile floor in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat is provided such that the floor board can move up or down.
• 2. Description of the Background Art
• In the background art, as disclosed for example in JP Utility Model Publication Serial No. Sho (1988) 63-69655, a movable floor apparatus is disclosed that is provided with a fixed floor portion that extends in the front-to-rear direction of the automobile, a movable floor portion constituted from a flat plate material that is disposed in an area located below a foot pedal such as a brake pedal above the fixed floor portion, and a raising-lowering drive mechanism that drives the movable floor portion up or down relative to the fixed floor portion.
• As disclosed in above JP UM Pub Sho 63-69655, by displacing the movable floor portion up or down according to the physique or the like of the occupant, it is possible to improve the operability of the foot pedal. However, because the position at which the occupant's foot is placed in the movable floor portion, made from flat plate material as described above, changes within a wide range, it is necessary for the installation surface area of the movable floor portion to be sufficiently large, corresponding to this wide range. When a large installation surface area is adopted for the movable floor in this manner, it is difficult to allow the front portion of the movable floor portion to follow the fixed floor portion when raising or lowering the movable floor portion, and if the fixed floor portion is not positioned far enough downward, it may not be possible to lower the movable floor portion to an appropriate position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile movable floor apparatus in which it is possible to drive a floor board, positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat, up or down appropriately.
• In order to attain this object, the present invention provides an automobile movable floor apparatus including a floor board that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor and a raising-lowering drive mechanism that raises or lowers the floor board, provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat, and a toe board portion sloping down to the rear and a floor base portion that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion, provided in the automobile body floor, the floor board including a toe board corresponding portion that corresponds to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and a floor base corresponding portion that corresponds to the floor base portion, the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion being formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view that shows the overall configuration of an automobile movable floor apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a plan view that shows the configuration of relevant portions of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view that shows the configuration of relevant portions of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view that shows a specific configuration of a floor board in the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view that shows the configuration of relevant portions of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view that shows a support structure of a rear portion of the floor board inFIG. 4.
• FIG. 7 is a front-cross-sectional view that shows the configuration of the floor board inFIG. 4 and members peripheral to that floor board.
• FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view that shows the structure of a seat position adjustment mechanism in the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 9 is a front cross-sectional view that shows the structure of a seat position adjustment mechanism in the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view that shows a state in which the floor board inFIG. 4 has been displaced to an elevated position.
• FIG. 11 is a perspective view that shows a specific configuration of a driving force transmission mechanism in the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view that shows a specific configuration of a driving force transmission mechanism in the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view that illustrates a front half portion in an assembly method of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 14 is a perspective view that illustrates a rear half portion in an assembly method of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a movable floor apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 16 is a front cross-sectional view of the movable floor apparatus inFIG. 15.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSFirst Embodiment
• FIGS.1 to3 show a first embodiment of an automobile movable floor apparatus according to the present invention. This movable floor apparatus includes a side sill1 provided extending in the front-rear direction in both left and right side portions of the automobile body, afloor tunnel2 provided extending in the front-rear direction in the central portion in the lateral direction of the automobile body, anautomobile body floor3 provided between thefloor tunnel2 and the side sill1, and afloor board5 that covers the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 in the foot area of an occupant seated in anoccupant seat4 constituted from a driver's seat or the like. Below thefloor board5, a raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 is disposed that drives thefloor board5 up or down relative to theautomobile floor3.
• Theautomobile body floor3 includes atoe board portion8 that extends in the rearward direction of the automobile body in a state sloping down and rearward from the bottom end of adash panel7, and afloor base portion9 that is approximately flat and extends in the rearward direction of the automobile body continuous with the rear end of thetoe board portion8. Above thetoe board portion8, foot pedals constituting for example anaccelerator pedal11 and abrake pedal12 operated by the driver are provided, and afoot rest13 is provided to the side of those foot pedals. Also, provided on the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 is an unshown automobile body floor mat constituted from, for example, pile material and backing.
• As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, thefloor board5 includes afront side board15 whose front end is pivotably supported by ahinge member14 at thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3, and arear side board17 that is connected to the rear end of thefront side board15 such that therear side board17 can bend viahinge members16. Thefront side board15 includes a toe boardcorresponding portion18 that slopes up and frontward in the same manner as thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3, and a floor basecorresponding portion19 that extends in the rearward direction of the automobile body continuous with the rear end of the floor base-corresponding portion18. These are formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side. Where the term “flattened V-like shape” is meant a shape formed by two lines forming an upwardly open angle not as shallow as a shape of an ordinary letter “V” but not as flat as a horizontal line. The front portion of thefront side board15, i.e. the toe board-corresponding portion18, is provided such that it extends out below the foot pedals constituting for example theaccelerator pedal11 and thebrake pedal12, and provided in the side portion of the toe board-corresponding portion18 is an avoidingportion20 that is notched so as to avoid obstructing thefoot rest13.
• Also, aconcave portion21 that is concave downward except in its rear portion and is formed in thefront side board15, and in theconcave portion21, by disposing and bonding an impact-absorbingmember22 constituted from an elastic body of, for example, urethane foam material or synthetic rubber material, the impact-absorbingmember22 is disposed such that it covers the upper face of thefloor board5 across the toe board-corresponding portion18 and the floor base-corresponding portion19 of thefront side board15. By setting the width dimension of the impact-absorbingmember22 to approximately the same value as the width dimension of thefloor board5, the impact-absorbingmember22 is disposed throughout approximately the entire area of thefloor board5 in the widthwise direction of the automobile, and by setting the thickness of the impact-absorbing member to about the same as the amount of concavity of theconcave portion21, the upper face of the impact-absorbingmember22 is set to about the same height as the upper face of thefloor board5 continuous with theconcave portion21, specifically, about the same height as the rear portion of thefront side board15.
• On the upper face of thefloor board5 is provided onefloor board mat23 constituted from, for example, pile material and backing. Thefloor board mat23 is formed with a size that can continuously cover the upper face of the impact-absorbingmember22 disposed in theconcave portion21, and the upper face of thefloor board5 continuous with the upper face of the impact-absorbingmember22, i.e., the rear portion of the toe board-corresponding portion18 and therear side board17. In a side portion of thefloor board5 and thefloor board mat23, a cut-out5ais formed in order to avoid interfering with arear heat duct29 described below.
• The width dimension of therear side board17 of thefloor board5 is set such that therear side board17 covers approximately the entire area between the side sill1 and thefloor panel2 disposed at positions corresponding to thefloor base portion9 of theautomobile body floor3. Also, to the rear of the area where thefloor board5 is provided, theoccupant seat4 constituted from a driver's seat or the like is provided, and below the front edge of theoccupant seat4, across member24 is disposed that connects thefloor tunnel2 and the side sill1. On the frontward side of thecross member24, a pair of left andright guide rails25 are disposed that slidably support the rear portion of therear side board17.
• As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, aguide rail25 is constituted from a body with a U-shape in cross-section, installed on theautomobile body floor3 via abracket26, and are configured such that agrommet27 provided protruding from the lower face of the rear of therear side board17 holds aslider28 such that theslider28 can be engaged or released. According to raising-lowering displacement of thefloor board5, described below, theslider28 can be displaced by sliding along theguide rails25, and thus, in a state with the rear of therear side board17 supported by theguide rails25, theslider28 can move to the front or to the rear.
• Also, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 7, in theautomobile body floor3, arear heat duct29 is disposed that extends toward the rear of the automobile body from the side of thefloor tunnel2 through an area below therear side board17. Therear heat duct29 is provided so as to guide heating air, which has been led out from a heater duct (not shown) disposed inside an instrument panel, from the upper face of thefloor panel2 along the side face to below therear side board17, and then to the rear of the automobile body. Further, in theautomobile body floor3, aconcave groove portion30 is formed that extends below thecross member24 toward the rear of the automobile body, and a conducting path for the heating air is formed by theconcave groove portion30 and therear heat duct29.
• As shown inFIGS. 5, 7, and11, the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 that raises or lowers thefloor board5 includes a pair of left andright drive links31 whose tip end is pivotably supported by the lower face of the rear end of thefront end board15, a pair of left andright screw shafts32 whose front and rear ends are rotatably supported on the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 via bearingmembers32aand32b, andslide blocks34 threadedly attached to thescrew shafts32 and supported such that the slide blocks can slide along the upper face of theautomobile body floor3. The base end of thedrive links31 is pivotably supported by the side face of theslide blocks34.
• The rear end of thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 is connected to anoutput cable33 of a driving force transmission mechanism10 (FIG. 11) described below, and thescrew shafts32 are configured so that they are rotationally driven with the shafts turning according to the rotational force of theoutput cable33. Thescrew shafts32 are driven in the normal direction to screw theslide blocks34 along theshafts32 toward the front of the automobile body, so that the rear end of thedrive links31 is pushed forward, and the front end of the drive links is pushed upward. As a result, thedrive links31 are moved from a lying state to a standing state, and due to the rear portion of thefront side board15 being pushed upward via thedrive links31, thefront side board15 is displaced by swinging from a lowered position shown inFIG. 1 to a raised position shown inFIG. 5, with thehinge member14 as the fulcrum.
• On the other hand, the front portion of therear side board17 of thefloor board5 is connected to the rear end of thefront side board15 by thehinge members16, so the front portion of therear side board17 is pushed upward corresponding to the rising operation of thefront side board15, and while the rear end of therear side board17 is supported by theautomobile body floor3 with theguide rails25, therear side board17 moves toward the front of the automobile body. Thus, the connecting portion of thefront side board15 and therear side board17 rises, and thefloor board5 moves to a state folded up at the connecting portion like a mountain when viewed from the side.
• Also, when thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 are driven in reverse to screw theslide blocks34 along theshafts32 toward the rear of the automobile body, thedrive links31 are moved from a standing state to a laid-down state so that the rear portion of thefront side board15 is displaced by swinging from the raised position shown inFIG. 5 to the lowered position shown inFIG. 1, and therear side board17 moves to the lowered position along theautomobile body floor3.
• Theoccupant seat4 is a separate-type seat separately provided on the driver's side and the passenger's side of the front of the automobile cabin, and as shown inFIG. 1, includes aseat cushion35 that constitutes the occupant's seating face, a seat back36 standing upward from the rear end of theseat cushion35, and ahead rest37 installed in the top end of theseat back36. With a seatposition adjustment mechanism38 provided in theautomobile body floor3, theoccupant seat4 is supported such that it is possible to adjust the front-rear position and the vertical position of theseat cushion35, and the angle at which theseat cushion35 is disposed relative to theautomobile floor3.
• As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 includes a pair of left and right guide rails39 that are provided on theautomobile body floor3 in a state sloping upward to the front, a slide driving means40 that displaces theseat cushion35 along the guide rails39 by sliding theseat cushion35 to the front or rear of the automobile body, and a tilting means41 that raises or lowers the rear end of theseat cushion35 in conjunction with the front-rear movement of theseat cushion35.
• Theseat cushion35 includes acushion frame42 disposed so as to cover the main body (the cushion material) of theseat cushion35 from below, and below thecushion frame42, the guide rails39 are provided constituted from a member with the cross-sectional shape of a U whose upper face is open. Aslider44, in which aprotrusion45 is provided protruding from the upper face of theslider44, is slidably disposed within the guide rails39, and the upper end of theprotrusion45 is pivotably supported by the bottom of thecushion frame42 via acoupling pin46. Also, a screw hole into which ascrew shaft47 of the slide driving means40 is screwed is formed in theslider44.
• Thescrew shafts47 of the slide driving means40 are disposed within the guide rails39, and both the front and rear end of the guide rails39 are rotatably supported by a bearing member. In addition, the rear end of the guide rails39 is connected to a drive motor (drive source) via an unshown power transmission cable. Drive power is transmitted from the drive motor via the power transmission cable to thescrew shaft47, thus rotationally driving thescrew shaft47, and thus theslider44 is screwed along the guide rails39. Also, aninput cable48 of the driving force transmission mechanism10 (FIG. 11) described below is connected to the front end of thescrew shaft47 via acoupling49.
• The tilting means41 of the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 includes asupport plate50 provided protruding below the rear of thecushion frame42, aguide plate51 provided fixed to the side face of the guide rails25 and erected in the perpendicular direction, and aguide pin52 providing protruding from thesupport plate50. Aguide groove53 having a sloping portion sloping upward and to the front is formed in theguide plate51, and theguide pin52 is supported so as to be able to slide along theguide groove53. Theslider44 is screwed by thescrew shaft47 of the slide driving means40 so that the front portion of theseat cushion35 moves frontward or backward along the guide rails25, and due to theguide pin52 sliding along theguide groove53 of theguide plate51 according to that frontward or backward movement, the rear portion of theseat cushion35 is driven up or down.
• When, for example, theseat cushion35 is slidably displaced by the slide driving means40 from the rear position shown inFIGS. 1 and 8 to the front position shown inFIG. 10, the front portion of theseat cushion35 is slidably displaced along the guide rails39 and gradually rises, and theguide pin52 slides along theguide groove53 of theguide plate51 toward the front of the automobile body. Thus, the rear end of theseat cushion35 is pushed upward so that theseat cushion35 is slidably displaced. As a result, according to the frontward movement of theseat cushion35, the slope angle of theseat cushion35 relative to the horizontal plane gradually becomes smaller so that theseat cushion35 becomes disposed near the horizontal plane, and correspondingly the seat back36 is moved from a state in which it is tilted rearward to a state in which it is nearly upright.
• When a short occupant A sits in theoccupant seat4, when theoccupant seat4 is slid frontward in the automobile body by operating an unshown operating switch to operate the drive motor of the slide driving means40, the front portion of theseat cushion35 rises along the guide rails25 as shown inFIG. 10, and the rear portion of theseat cushion35 is pushed upward, so a hip point, which indicates the seating center of the occupant relative to theseat cushion35, moves up and toward the front corresponding to the height of occupant A's body, and thus the line of sight of occupant A matches a proper line L. Also, the rear end of theseat cushion35 is pushed upward according to the frontward movement of theoccupant seat4 so that the angle at which theseat cushion35 is disposed is near horizontal. Thus, because the short occupant A, whose legs are short in accordance with occupant A's height, sits in a state with their knees significantly bent and the portion of the legs beneath the knees falling at a predetermined angle, a state in which occupant A's feet are separated from the floor is prevented.
• On the other hand, as shown inFIG. 1, when a tall occupant B sits in theoccupant seat4, when theoccupant seat4 is slid backward in the automobile body by the slide driving means40, the front portion of theseat cushion35 is lowered along the guide rails25, and the rear portion of theseat cushion35 is pushed downward, so the hip point indicating the seating center of occupant B relative to theseat cushion35 moves down and to the rear corresponding to the height of occupant B's body, and thus the line of sight of occupant B matches the proper line L. Also, theseat cushion35 is tilted up and to the front according to the rearward movement of theoccupant seat4, so that the knees of the tall occupant B, whose legs are long in accordance with occupant B's height, are bent at a reduced angle so the portion of the legs beneath the knees is extended to the front, and therefore the occupant B can obtain a stable sitting posture.
• The slide driving means40 of the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 of thefloor board5 are connected by the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 shown inFIG. 11. The drivingforce transmission mechanism10 transmits the driving force of the slide driving means40 to the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6, and due to such transmission of driving force via the drivingforce transmission mechanism10, in conjunction with theoccupant seat4 driven in the front-rear direction by the slide driving means40, thefloor board5 is driven up or down by the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6.
• The drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is configured from theinput cable48 connected to thescrew shaft47 of the slide driving means40, theoutput cable33 connected to thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6, and agear box60 that connects theinput cable48 and theoutput cable33 such that they can be moved in conjunction with each other.
• Theinput cable48 is such that within a flexible cylindrical body a cable material capable of transmitting rotational force is held rotationally around a shaft, and transmits rotational force input from the slide driving means40 of the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 to thegear box60. Also, theoutput cable33 has the same structure as theinput cable48, and transmits the rotational force that has been input from theinput cable48 via thegear box60 to thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6.
• As shown inFIGS. 11 and 12, thegear box60 is configured from adeceleration gear box61 that reduces the rotation speed of theinput cable48, and atransmission gear box64 that transmits the decelerated driving force to theoutput cable33. Thedeceleration gear box61 and thetransmission gear box64 are detachably connected, and in that place the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is divided into two parts. That is, the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is configured from aninput portion74 including thedeceleration gear box61 and theinput cable48, and anoutput portion75 including thetransmission gear box64 and theoutput cable33.
• As shown inFIG. 12, thedeceleration gear box61 is configured with aworm gear62 that is connected to and rotates as a single body with the tip end of theinput cable48, and aworm wheel63 rotationally driven by theworm gear62, disposed inside acase161. In theworm wheel63 an engaging hole is formed in which aspline shaft65, provided protruding from thetransmission gear box64 below, is inserted and thus engaged. Due to the rotational force of theinput cable48 being transmitted to theworm wheel63 via theworm gear62, theworm wheel63 is rotationally driven, and that rotational force is transmitted to thetransmission gear box64 via thespline shaft65.
• Thetransmission gear box64 is configured with afirst bevel gear66 that rotates as a single body with thespline shaft65, and asecond bevel gear67 that is rotationally driven by thefirst bevel gear66, disposed inside acase164. In thesecond bevel gear67, theoutput cable33 connected to thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 is immovably attached such that they rotate as a single body and thus the rotational force of thesecond bevel gear67 is transmitted tooutput cable33 and thescrew shafts32. Also, by transmitting the rotational force from theinput cable48 to theoutput cable33 via the deceleration mechanism configured from theworm gear62 and theworm wheel63, when transmitting that rotational force, the rotational velocity is reduced to about one tenth.
• Thetransmission gear box64 is disposed near the front edge of thecross member24 disposed in front of theoccupant seat4, and fixed to theautomobile body floor3 with an installation bolt, and in a state with thedeceleration gear box61 stacked on thetransmission gear box64, thedeceleration gear box61 and thetransmission gear box64 are connected with a connecting bolt. Further, when thetransmission gear box64 and thedeceleration gear box61 are fastened with the bolt, thespline shaft65 of thetransmission gear box64 is inserted in the engaging hole of theworm wheel63 disposed in thedeceleration gear box64, thus connecting thedeceleration gear box61 and thetransmission gear box64 as a single body.
• When thescrew shaft47 of the slide driving means40 is rotationally driven by the drive motor, theslider44 is screwed to move theseat cushion35 to the front or back along theguide rail25, and that driving force is transmitted to theoutput cable33 via theinput cable48 and thegear box60. Due to theoutput cable33 rotationally driving thescrew shafts32 of the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6, the slide blocks34 are screwed toward the front or the rear of the automobile body, the drive links31 move from a lying state to a standing state, or from a standing state to a lying state, and thus the rear portion of thefront side board15 is driven up or down.
• For example, when the short person A sits in theoccupant seat4, when theoccupant seat4 is moved forward in the automobile body, in conjunction with this movement the drive links31 move from the lying state to the standing state, and the rear portion of thefront side board15 of thefloor board5 changes to the elevated position shown inFIGS. 5 and 10. On the other hand, when the tall person B sits in theoccupant seat4, when theoccupant seat4 is moved backward in the automobile body, in conjunction with this movement the drive links31 move from the standing state to the lying state, and the rear portion of thefront side board15 of thefloor board5 changes to the lowered position shown inFIG. 1. Thus the height at which thefloor board5, where the heels of the occupant are placed, is provided is adjusted to a position appropriate for the length of the legs of the occupant A or B.
• Next is a description of a procedure for assembling a movable floor apparatus as described above, with reference toFIGS. 13 and 14.
• First, by installing the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 and anoutput portion75 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 connected to the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6, afloor board assembly72 is formed in thefloor board5. Likewise, by installing the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 and aninput portion74 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 connected to the seatposition adjustment mechanism38, aseat assembly70 is formed in theoccupant seat4. The work of forming thefloor board assembly72 and theseat assembly70 is performed in advance outside of the automobile.
• Next, as shown inFIG. 13, of theassemblies70 and72, first thefloor board assembly72 is brought into the automobile cabin from a door opening or the like of the automobile body and installed to the automobile body. Specifically, the bearingmembers32aand32bof the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 fix thetransmission gear box64 of theoutput portion75, and thehinge members14 installed at the front edge of thefront side board15 of thefloor board5, on theautomobile body floor3. However, at this stage, thegrommets27 provided protruding from the lower face of the rear end of therear side board17 are not fit with thesliders28 in the guide rails25 fixed on theautomobile body floor3, and therear side board17 is kept flipped up toward the front of the automobile.
• Next, as shown inFIG. 14, theseat assembly70 is brought into the automobile cabin, and installed to the automobile body. Specifically, the front end of the guide rails39 installed to the lower face of thecushion frame42 of theoccupant seat4 is fixed to thecross member24 of the automobile body via a bracket or the like, and the rear end of the guide rails39 is fixed to a rear cross member (FIG. 8).
• As shown by arrow a inFIG. 14, theinput portion74 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 brought into the automobile cabin along with theassembly70 is connected to theoutput portion75 fixed on theautomobile body floor3. Specifically, in a state with thedeceleration gear box61 of theinput portion74 stacked on thetransmission gear box64 of theoutput portion75, both of theseboxes61 and64 are connected and fixed with a connecting bolt. At this time, due to thespline shaft65 of thetransmission gear box64 being inserted into the engaging hole of theworm wheel63 disposed within thedeceleration gear box61, the gear mechanism in each of theboxes61 and64 are connected such that they can operate in conjunction with each other. Finally, as shown by arrow b inFIG. 14, by laying down therear side board17 of thefloor board5 toward the rear of the automobile, thegrommets27 provided protruding from the lower face of the rear end of therear side board17 are fit with thesliders28 in the guide rails25 fixed on theautomobile body floor3, thus completing the movable floor apparatus of the present embodiment.
• In the movable floor apparatus as described above, thefloor board5 that covers the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 that raises or lowers thefloor board5 are provided in the foot area of the occupant seated in theoccupant seat4, and also provided are thetoe board portion8 sloping downward to the rear and thefloor base portion9 that extends in the rearward direction of the automobile body continuous with the rear end of thetoe board portion8. Provided in thefloor board5 are the toeboard corresponding portion18 that corresponds to thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3 and the floorbase corresponding portion19 that corresponds to thefloor base portion9, and because the toeboard corresponding portion18 and the floorbase corresponding portion19 of thefloor board5 are formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side, this movable floor apparatus has the advantage that it is possible to drive thefloor board5, positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in theoccupant seat4, up or down appropriately.
• That is, this movable floor apparatus is configured such that by forming the toeboard corresponding portion18 and the floorbase corresponding portion19 of thefloor board5 in a V-like shape when viewed from the side, thefloor board5 is allowed to correspond to theautomobile body floor3 positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in theoccupant seat4, i.e., thefloor board5 is allowed to correspond to the shape of theautomobile body floor3, which includes thetoe board portion8 sloping downward to the rear and thefloor base portion9 that extends in the rearward direction of the automobile body continuous with the rear end of thetoe board portion8. Thus, when thefloor board5 has been lowered corresponding to the physique of the occupant, by matching the toeboard corresponding portion18 and the floorbase corresponding portion19 to thetoe board portion8 and thefloor base portion9 of theautomobile body floor3, it is possible to prevent a space from being formed between thefloor board5 and theautomobile body floor3 even when a large range in the front-rear direction of the automobile body is set for installation of thefloor board5. Accordingly, this movable floor apparatus has the advantage that it is possible to move thefloor board5 up or down with the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 according to the physique or the like of the occupant while insuring a sufficient range of movement for feet placed on thefloor board5, and by preventing a space from being formed between thefloor board5 and theautomobile body floor3, it is possible to insure that thefloor board5 is lowered a sufficient amount without positioning theautomobile body floor3 lower than necessary.
• Also, in the first embodiment described above, when the short person A sits in theoccupant seat4 in a state with their knees significantly bent and the portion of the legs beneath the knees falling at a predetermined angle, in a state with the front end of the toeboard corresponding portion18, which constitutes thefront side board15 of thefloor board5, pivotably attached to and supported by thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 10, the rear portion of thefront side board15 is moved to an elevated position by the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 so that the floorbase corresponding portion19 of thefront side board15 is sloping down and to the front. Thus, when the short person A operates thebrake pedal12 or the like by pushing it forward, it is possible to smoothly move the heel portion toward the front of the automobile body along the floorbase corresponding portion19.
• In particular, as illustrated in the above first embodiment, a configuration is adopted such that thefront side board15 whose front end is supported by theautomobile body floor3, and therear side board17 bendably connected to the rear end of thefront side board15 via a connecting member constituted from thehinge members16, are provided in thefloor board5, and the rear end of therear side board17 is moved to the front or to the rear along thefloor base portion9 of theautomobile body floor3. With this configuration, by elevating the connecting portion of thefront side board15 and therear side board17 to fold thefloor board5 up like a mountain when viewed from the side using the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 that raises or lowers thefloor board5, it is possible to easily and appropriately change the height or the like at which thefloor board5 is provided according to the physique of the occupant.
• That is, thefloor board5 is divided into thefront side board15 whose front end is supported by theautomobile floor3 and therear side board17 bendably connected to the rear end of thefront side board15 via a connecting member constituted from thehinge members16, and by raising or lowering the connecting portion of theboards15 and17, it is possible to adjust the height at which thefloor board5 is provided, so unlike a configuration in which one end of a one-sheet floor board having a large area is used as a fulcrum and the other end is driven up or down, thus moving thefloor board5 as a single body to adjust the height at which thefloor board5 is provided, with the configuration according to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to appropriately adjust the height at which thefloor board5 is provided without a situation occurring in which the front end or the rear end of the floor board is swung a large amount thus causing a large change in the space between the floor board and theautomobile body floor3. In addition, in comparison to a case in which a one-sheet floor board is driven up or down in order to adjust the height at which the floor board is provided, the configuration according to the first embodiment described above has the advantage that thefloor board5 can easily be driven up or down with a small driving force. Moreover, the configuration according to the first embodiment described above has the advantage that the change in the front-rear dimension of thefloor board5 that occurs when raising or lowering the connecting portion of thefront side board15 and therear side board17 with the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 can be absorbed below the front of theoccupant seat4, i.e. that change can be absorbed in the rear portion of therear side board17 introduced below the knees of the occupant, and thus it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling discomfort in the area of the occupant's feet due to changes in the front-rear dimension of thefloor board5.
• Also, in the first embodiment described above, the drive links31 are disposed with their tip end connected to the rear of the floorbase corresponding portion19, and by moving the base end of the drive links31 to the front or to the rear along theautomobile body floor3, a link drive mechanism, specifically a drive mechanism configured from thecrew shafts32, the slide blocks34, and the like, erects or lays down the drive links31 to drive thefloor board5 up or down. The raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 is configured with thesedrive links31 and the link drive mechanism, so the rear of thefront side board15, whose front end is pivotably attached to thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3, can be driven up or down with a light force while being supported by the drive links31. In addition, the first embodiment described above has the advantage that while the load placed on thefloor board5 by the heels of the occupant placed on the floorbase corresponding portion19 is supported by the drive links31, thefloor board5 can be appropriately driven up or down.
• Further, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which a left and right pair of the drive links31 and link drive mechanisms are provided, and driving force is transmitted to the left and right link drive mechanisms from a single drive source (the drive motor of the seat position adjustment mechanism38) via the drivingforce transmission mechanism10, there is the advantage that by supporting both the left and right sides of thefloor board5 with the drive links31, a stably supported state is obtained for thefloor board5, and it is possible to easily drive thefloor board5 up or down with a simple configuration.
• Also, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which by providing the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 between the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6, thefloor board5 is driven up or down by the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 in conjunction with theoccupant seat4, which is driven in the front-rear direction by the slide driving means40 of the seatposition adjustment mechanism38, there is the advantage that it is possible to drive both the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 with a single drive source, so the front-rear position of theoccupant seat4 and the height at which thefloor board5 is provided can be easily adjusted with a simple configuration.
• Also, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is configured with theinput cable48 and theoutput cable33 that transmit driving force by rotating around a shaft, and thegear box60 in which thecables48 and33 are connected such that they can operate together, there is the advantage that with a simple configuration, it is possible to stably transmit the driving force of the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 to the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6.
• That is, it is also possible to configure theinput cable48 with, for example, a tension cable that slides in the direction of the shaft according to the front-rear movement of theseat cushion35, and to configure thegear box60 with a roller (pulley) around which the tension cable is wound and a gear mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the roller to theoutput cable33. However, when such a configuration is adopted, it becomes necessary to provide two cables, namely a cable pulled when theseat cushion35 is moved forward and a cable pulled when theseat cushion35 is moved toward the rear, as the input cable, so the configuration becomes more complicated. On the other hand, with the first embodiment above, it is possible to more simply configure the drivingforce transmission mechanism10.
• Also, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which after temporarily reducing the rotational velocity of theinput cable48 with thedeceleration gear box61, the driving force after speed reduction is transmitted to theoutput cable33 via thetransmission gear box64, it is possible to drive, with an appropriate stroke as necessary, theoccupant seat4, which needs, for example, to be moved to the front or to the rear about 100 mm according to the physique of the occupant, thefloor board5 which needs only a small amount of vertical movement in comparison to theoccupant seat4, and the slide blocks34 that, specifically, are driven, for example, about 10 mm in the front-rear direction in order to raise or lower thefloor board5. Also, because the driving force is increased along with reducing the rotational velocity of theinput cable48, and then transmitted to theoutput cable33, even when some amount of driving force transmission loss occurs, it is not necessary to change the capacity of the drive source. Accordingly, the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 can be reliably driven with a small capacity drive source.
• Also, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which thegear box60 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is fixed on theautomobile body floor3 in the vicinity of thecross member24 that supports the front end of theoccupant seat4, there is the advantage that thegear box60 can be disposed in a dead space below theoccupant seat4 such thatgear box60 does not become an obstruction. Instead of fixing thegear box60 on theautomobile body floor3 in the vicinity of thecross member24, thegear box60 may be fixed to, for example, the front face of thecross member24.
• Also, when adopting a configuration as disclosed in the first embodiment above, in which thegear box60 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is configured from two gear boxes, namely thedeceleration gear box61 and thetransmission gear box64 configured such that they can be connected, because the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is divided into two parts, namely theinput portion74 configured from thedeceleration gear box61 and theinput cable48, and theoutput portion75 configured from thetransmission gear box64 and theoutput cable33, it is possible to improve the assemblability of the movable floor apparatus. That is, when the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 is configured with two parts as described above, as in the assembly method described in the above embodiment, after performing, in advance in a large area outside of the automobile, the work of assembling theoutput portion75 and the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 to thefloor board5 to form thefloor board assembly72, and the work of assembling theinput portion74 and the seatposition adjustment mechanism38 to theoccupant seat4 to form theseat assembly70, the separately formedseat assembly70 andfloor board assembly72 can be easily brought into the automobile cabin from a door opening or the like of the automobile body and installed in the automobile body. Thus, the movable floor apparatus can easily be assembled.
• Also, in the first embodiment above, thegear box60 of the drivingforce transmission mechanism10 was configured from thedeceleration gear box61 having a deceleration gear mechanism configured from theworm gear62 and theworm wheel63, and thetransmission gear box64 having a transmission gear mechanism configured from the first and second bevel gears66 and67, but a suitable structure for thegear box60 is not limited to such an example. For example, if thedeceleration gear box61 reduces the rotational velocity of theinput cable48, thedeceleration gear box61 is not limited to a structure as described above; thedeceleration gear box61 may be configured, for example, by combining a plurality of gear wheels having different numbers of teeth. However, a configuration in which theworm gear62 and theworm wheel63 are used, as in the above first embodiment, has the advantage that thedeceleration gear box61 can be more compactly configured. Also, thetransmission gear box64 is not limited to a structure as described above; various gear mechanisms or the like are applicable.
• Also, in first embodiment above, the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 is disposed below thefloor board5, and theimpact absorbing member22 is provided on the upper face of thefloor board5. Thus, the first embodiment above has the advantage that the height at which thefloor board5, where the feet of the occupant are placed, is provided can be appropriately adjusted with the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 provided below thefloor board5 to maintain the seating position of the occupant in an appropriate state, and by providing the impact-absorbingmember22 on the upper face of thefloor board5, it is possible to effectively protect the lower legs of the occupant during an automobile collision.
• That is, because the impact-absorbingmember22, constituted from an elastic body of, for example, urethane foam material or synthetic rubber material, is disposed on the surface of thefloor board5, whose placement height is adjusted according to the physique or the like of the occupant, there is the advantage that when an automobile collision accident occurs in a state in which the occupant seated in theoccupant seat4 has placed their heels on the impact-absorbingmember22 on thefloor board5, it is possible for the impact-absorbingmember22 to absorb the impact load that acts on the heels or the like of the occupant from thefloor board5, and thus the lower legs of the occupant can be effectively protected.
• Also, in the first embodiment above, the impact-absorbingmember22 is disposed across the toeband corresponding portion18 and the floorbase corresponding portion19 of thefloor board5, so there is the advantage that when an automobile collision accident occurs in a state in which the occupant has placed their heels on the impact-absorbingmember22, it is possible for the impact-absorbingmember22 to effectively absorb the impact load applied to the heels or the like of the occupant, and thus the lower legs of the occupant can be effectively protected.
• Moreover, as described in the first embodiment above, when the impact-absorbingmember22 is disposed across approximately the entire width of thefloor board5, a sufficient width is insured for the impact-absorbingmember22, which has the above function of absorbing the impact load, and thus the lower legs of the occupant can be effectively protected.
• Also, in the first embodiment above, theconcave portion21 concave downward is formed in the front portion of thefloor board5, specifically in thefront side board15, and the impact-absorbingmember22 is disposed in theconcave portion21, so there is the advantage that even when the impact-absorbingmember22 having a predetermined thickness is provided only in the front portion of thefloor board5, formation of a large step in height in the upper end face of thefloor board5 is prevented, and it is possible to flatly form the upper end face. Moreover, when a load pushing the impact-absorbingmember22 rearward has been applied during an automobile collision, rearward movement of the impact-absorbingmember22 is prevented due to causing the rear end of the impact-absorbingmember22 to make contact with the step formed in the rear end portion of theconcave portion21, so the installed state of the impact-absorbingmember22 can be maintained.
• In particular, as described in the first embodiment above, when approximately the same height is set for the upper face of the impact-absorbingmember22 disposed in theconcave portion21 and the upper face of thefloor board5 continuous with theconcave portion21, specifically the rear portion of thefront side board15, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of discomfort when feet placed on thefloor board5 are moved while insuring sufficient thickness of the impact-absorbingmember22, and it is also possible to effectively improve operability when operating theaccelerator pedal11 or the like.
• Also, in the second embodiment above, thefloor board mat23 is provided covering and continuous with the upper face of the impact-absorbingmember22 disposed in theconcave portion21 and the upper face of the floor board5 (the rear portion of thefront side board15 and the rear side board17) continuous with theconcave portion21, so there is the advantage that it is possible to effectively flatten the upper end face of thefloor board5, and thus it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of discomfort when feet placed on thefloor board5 are moved.
• Also, as described in the first embodiment above, when, in an automobile in which thecross member24 extending in the widthwise direction of the automobile has been provided below the front of theoccupant seat4, the rear end of therear side board17 has been extended to a position adjacent to thecross member24, the rear of therear side board17, which moves to the front or to the rear in accordance with raising or lowering the connecting portion of thefront side board15 and therear side board17, can be positioned concealed between the front lower face of theseat cushion35 and the front wall face of thecross member24. Accordingly, there is the advantage that it is possible to effectively prevent the rear of therear side board17 from moving to the front or to the rear to cause discomfort to the user.
• Further, in the first embodiment above, in an automobile configured with thefloor board5 divided into thefront side board15 and therear side board17, and the front end of thefront side board15 is pivotably attached to thetoe board portion8 of theautomobile body floor3, and the rear of therear side board17 is supported such that it can slide in the front-rear direction of the automobile body along thefloor base portion9 of theautomobile body floor3, the width dimension of therear side board17 is set such that approximately the entire area between thefloor tunnel2 provided in the center in the widthwise direction of the automobile body and the side sill1 provided on the left and right sides of the automobile body is covered by therear side board17 of thefloor board5. Thus, there is the advantage that while preventing an increase in driving force when driving thefloor board5 up or down, it is possible to insure a sufficient placement face on which the occupant's feet are placed.
• Also, as described in the first embodiment above, when, in an automobile provided with operating pedals constituting at least theaccelerator pedal11 and thebrake pedal12, operated by the driver, and thefoot rest13 provided along with those operating pedals, the front (the toe board corresponding portion18) of thefloor board5 is extended out below the operating pedals, and the avoidingportion20 that avoids thefoot rest13 is provided in the front of thefloor board5, it is possible to insure a sufficient area for providing thefloor board5 while preventing the front of thefloor board5 from obstructing thefoot rest13.
• Also, in the first embodiment described above, therear heat duct29 is provided in theautomobile floor3, extending toward the rear of the automobile body from the side of thefloor tunnel2 through an area below thefloor board5, and a cut-out5ais formed in a side portion of thefloor board5 in order to avoid interfering with therear heat duct29. Thus, there is the advantage that the side portion of thefloor board5 is prevented from interfering with therear heat duct29, and it is possible to appropriately provide therear heat duct29 while sufficiently insuring the widthwise dimension for thefloor board5.
Second Embodiment
• As stated in the first embodiment above, an automobile body floor mat is provided on the upper face of theautomobile body floor3, but because thefloor board5 is provided above the automobile body floor mat such that thefloor board5 can be raised or lowered, it is necessary to provide the automobile body floor mat such that the raising or lowering operation of thefloor board5 is not hindered. Accordingly, in the second embodiment, such an exemplary embodiment of a movable floor apparatus focusing on the relationship with the automobile body floor mat is described with reference toFIGS. 15 and 16. In these drawings, the same elements as in the first embodiment described above have the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here. Also, therear heat duct29 and theconcave groove portion30 shown inFIG. 7 are omitted fromFIG. 16.
• As shown inFIGS. 15 and 16, an automobilebody floor mat60 is provided on the upper face of theautomobile body floor3, via an insulator62 (mel sheet) having functions to provide sound and thermal insulation. The automobilebody floor mat60 is configured from, for example, a surface layer mat material constituted from, for example, pile material and backing, and a supplemental material (for example, felt or rubber material) affixed to the back face of the surface layer as necessary. On the other hand, theinsulator62 provided on the bottom side of the automobilebody floor mat60 is configured by, for example, layering a skin material such as nonwoven cloth on porous material such as felt, glass wool, or polyurethane foam. The automobilebody floor mat60 and theinsulator62 are notched at a location corresponding to the portion thehinge member14, the guide rails25, and the like are provided, so that members such as thehinge member14 and the guide rails25 are directly fixed to theautomobile body floor3 without intercession by the automobilebody floor mat60 or the like.
• The automobilebody floor mat60 is provided so as to cover across approximately the entire face of the automobile body floor, including an area of the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 positioned below thefloor board5. Also, as shown inFIG. 16, the automobilebody floor mat60 is provided so as to also cover the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2. In the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2, side wall faces of the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2 formvertical faces1aand2aextending in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of thefloor board5 in the widthwise direction of the automobile, and the automobilebody floor mat60 is provided laid out along thevertical faces1aand2a.
• On the other hand, as described in the first embodiment above, thefloor board mat23 constituted from, for example, pile material and backing, is provided on the upper face of thefloor board5. Thefloor board mat23, as is clear fromFIGS. 15 and 16, is formed separately from the automobilebody floor mat60 covering the upper face of theautomobile body floor3. Also, thefloor board mat23 is provided so as to directly cover the upper face of thefloor board5, and unlike in the case of the automobilebody floor mat60, theinsulator62 is not provided between thefloor board mat23 and thefloor board5.
• In the configuration of the second embodiment as described above, thefloor board5 is driven up or down by the raising-loweringdrive mechanism6 in the same manner as in the first embodiment above, and thus is configured to move up or down in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. At this time, thevertical faces1aand2aformed by the side wall faces of the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2 as shown inFIG. 16 are provided adjacent to both ends of thefloor board5 in the widthwise direction of the automobile, so between the automobilebody floor mat60 provided laid out along thevertical faces1aand2a, and both ends of thefloor board5 in the widthwise direction of the automobile, an approximately constant gap is formed regardless of the vertical position of thefloor board5.
• According to the configuration of the second embodiment as described above, the upper face of thefloor board5 disposed movable up or down on theautomobile body floor3 is covered with thefloor board mat23 configured separately from the automobilebody floor mat60 that covers the upper face of theautomobile body floor3, so the raising or lowering operation of thefloor board5 is not hindered by the presence of the automobilebody floor mat60, and it is easily possible to allow thefloor board mat23 that independently covers only thefloor board5 to follow the raising or lowering operation of thefloor board5. As a result, by providing a floor mat (the automobilebody floor mat60 and the floor board mat23) laid out on both theautomobile body floor3 and thefloor board5, it is possible for both an improvement in the outer appearance of the floor portion and smooth operation to raise or lower thefloor board5 to be well achieved.
• Also, as in the second embodiment above, when the area of the upper face of theautomobile body floor3 located below thefloor board5 is covered with the automobilebody floor mat60, and that region is covered continuous with other areas, there is the advantage that it is possible to prevent a large opening from being formed in the automobilebody floor mat60 at a position below thefloor board5, and so it is possible to effectively prevent a situation in which foreign matter such as gravel intrudes between theautomobile floor mat60 and theautomobile body floor3 through that opening.
• Also, as in the second embodiment above, when theinsulator62 is provided only on the lower face of the automobilebody floor mat60, and theinsulator62 is not provided on the lower face of thefloor board mat23 layered with theautomobile floor mat60 in a plan view, there is the advantage that while insuring sufficient sound insulation of the floor portion, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the height of the upper face (face where the feet of the occupant are placed) of thefloor board mat23 becomes unnecessarily high due to theinsulator62 being doubly provided, and thus it is possible to maintain the riding comfort of the automobile cabin interior in a good state.
• Also, as in the second embodiment above, when thefloor board5 is raised or lowered in the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out along thevertical faces1aand2aextending in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of thefloor board5 in the widthwise direction of the automobile, there is the advantage that it is possible to raise or lower thefloor board5 while maintaining a small value for the space between the automobilebody floor mat60 and both ends of thefloor board5, so it is possible to effectively prevent a situation in which foreign matter such as dust intrudes from that space, and it is possible to well maintain the outer appearance of the floor portion.
• Also, as in the second embodiment above, when the side walls of the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2 of the automobile body are provided extending in approximately the vertical direction, and thevertical faces1aand2aare formed by the side wall faces of the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2, it is possible to raise or lower thefloor board5 while maintaining a small value for the space between both ends of thefloor board5 provided so as to cover approximately the entire area in the widthwise direction between the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2 and the automobilebody floor mat60 provided laid out along the side walls (thevertical faces1aand2a) of the side sill1 and thefloor tunnel2. That is, when thefloor tunnel2 is formed tapering upward as in a conventional automobile, as thefloor board5 rises the space between the side wall face of thefloor tunnel2 and thefloor board5 will increase, so there an increased risk that foreign matter such as dust will intrude, and the outer appearance of the floor portion also is impaired. In this case as well, for example, if the widthwise dimension of thefloor board5 is enlarged due to the side portion of thefloor board5 protruding to the side when thefloor board5 rises, it is possible to address the above sort of problem, but a mechanism for enlarging the widthwise dimension of thefloor board5 is complicated, and this creates a problem such as increased cost. On the other hand, according to above embodiments, with a simple and rational configuration, it is possible to maintain a small value for the space between the ends of thefloor board5, so it is possible to prevent the invasion of foreign matter from the space and to improve the outer appearance.
• In the second embodiment above, theinsulator62 is provided only on the lower face of the automobilebody floor mat60, and not on the lower face of thefloor board mat23, but if there is no particular problem with respect to insuring space in the automobile cabin, theinsulator62 may be provided on both the lower face of the automobilebody floor mat60 and on the lower face of thefloor board mat23. Also, opposite to the above embodiments, theinsulator62 may be provided only on the lower face of thefloor board mat23, and not on the lower face of the automobilebody floor mat60.
• As described based on the above embodiments, the present invention provides an automobile movable floor apparatus including a floor board that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor and a raising-lowering drive mechanism that raises or lowers the floor board, provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat, and a toe board portion sloping down to the rear and a floor base portion that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion, provided in the automobile body floor, the floor board including a toe board corresponding portion that corresponds to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and a floor base corresponding portion that corresponds to the floor base portion, the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion being formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.
• According to the present invention, when the floor board has been lowered corresponding to the physique of the occupant, by matching the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion to the toe board portion and the floor base portion of the automobile body floor, it is possible to prevent a space from being formed between the floor board and the automobile body floor even when a large range in the front-rear direction of the automobile body is set for installation of the floor board. Thus, this movable floor apparatus has the advantage that it is possible to move the floor board up or down with the raising-lowering drive mechanism according to the physique or the like of the occupant while insuring a sufficient range of movement for feet placed on the floor board, and by preventing a space from being formed between the floor board and the automobile body floor, it is possible to insure that the floor board is lowered a sufficient amount without positioning the automobile body floor lower than necessary.
• It is preferable that the front end of the toe board corresponding portion of the floor board is pivotably attached to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and the raising-lowering drive mechanism is configured so as to lift the rear of the floor base corresponding portion upward to place the floor base corresponding portion in a state sloping downward to the front.
• According to this configuration, when a short person sits in the occupant seat in a state with their knees significantly bent and the portion of the legs beneath the knees falling at a predetermined angle, in a state with the front end of the toe board corresponding portion, which constitutes the front side board of the floor board, pivotably attached to and supported by the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, the rear portion of the front side board is moved to an elevated position by the raising-lowering drive mechanism so that the floor base corresponding portion of the front side board is sloping down and to the front. Thus, when the short person operates the brake pedal or the like by pushing it forward, it is possible to smoothly move the heel portion toward the front of the automobile body along the floor base corresponding portion.
• It is preferable that the floor board includes a front side board including the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion, and a rear side board bendably connected to the rear end of the front side board via a connecting member, and that the rear of the rear side board is supported such that the rear of the rear side board can slide in the front-rear direction of the automobile body along the floor base portion of the automobile body floor.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that the change in the front-rear dimension of the floor board that occurs when raising or lowering the connecting portion of the front side board and the rear side board can be absorbed in the rear portion of the rear side board introduced below the front of the occupant seat, and thus it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling discomfort in the area of the occupant's feet due to changes in the front-rear dimension of the floor board.
• It is preferable that the raising-lowering drive mechanism includes a drive link whose tip end is connected to the rear of the floor base corresponding portion, and a link drive mechanism that, by moving the base end of the drive link forward or to the rear along the automobile body floor, erects or lays down the drive link to drive the floor board up or down.
• With this configuration, the rear of the front side board, whose front end is pivotably attached to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, can be driven up or down with a light force while being supported by the drive links, and the floor board can be appropriately driven up or down while the load placed on the floor board by the heels of the occupant placed on the floor base corresponding portion is supported by the drive links.
• It is preferable that a left and right pair of the drive links and the link drive mechanisms are provided, and driving force is transmitted to each of the link drive mechanisms via a driving force transmission mechanism from a single drive source.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that by supporting the left and right sides of the floor board with the left and right drive links, a stably supported state of the floor board is obtained, and it is possible to easily drive the floor board up or down with a simple configuration using a single drive source.
• In the present invention, it is preferable that the automobile movable floor apparatus includes a seat position adjustment mechanism that drives a seat cushion of the occupant seat in at least the front-rear direction; and a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the seat position adjustment mechanism to the raising-lowering drive mechanism; and that the floor board is driven up or down by the raising-lowering drive mechanism in conjunction with the occupant seat driven in the front-rear direction by the seat position adjustment mechanism.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that it is possible to drive both the seat position adjustment mechanism and the raising-lowering drive mechanism with a single drive source, so the front-rear position of the occupant seat and the height at which the floor board is provided can be easily adjusted with a simple configuration.
• It is preferable that the driving force transmission mechanism includes an input cable that obtains driving force from the drive source provided in the seat position adjustment mechanism and rotates around a shaft; an output cable that rotates around a shaft according to the rotation of the input cable, thus transmitting driving force to the raising-lowering drive mechanism; and a gear box in which the input cable and the output cable are connected such that the input cable and the output cable are operable in conjunction with each other.
• When, in this manner, the driving force transmission mechanism is configured with the input cable and the output cable that transmit driving force by rotating around a shaft, and the gear box in which these cables are connected such that they can operate together, there is the advantage that with a simple configuration, it is possible to stably transmit the driving force of the seat position adjustment mechanism to the raising-lowering drive mechanism.
• It is preferable that the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism includes a deceleration gear mechanism that reduces the rotational velocity of the input cable; and a transmission gear mechanism that transmits the driving force after deceleration to the output cable.
• When, in this manner, after temporarily reducing the rotational velocity of the input cable, the driving force after speed reduction is transmitted to the output cable, it is possible to drive, with an appropriate stroke as necessary, the occupant seat, which needs to be moved to the front or to the rear according to the physique of the occupant, and the floor board, which needs only a small amount of vertical movement in comparison to the occupant seat. Also, because the driving force is increased along with reducing the rotational velocity of the input cable, and then transmitted to the output cable, even when some amount of driving force transmission loss occurs, it is not necessary to change the capacity of the drive source. Accordingly, the seat position adjustment mechanism and the raising-lowering drive mechanism can be reliably driven with a small capacity drive source.
• It is preferable that the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism is provided protruding from the upper face of the automobile body floor, and is fixed to the cross member that supports the front end of the occupant seat or fixed to the automobile body floor in the vicinity thereof.
• When, in this manner, the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism is fixed to the cross member that supports the front end of the occupant seat or fixed to the automobile floor in the vicinity thereof, there is the advantage that the gear box can be disposed in a dead space below the occupant seat such that gear box does not become an obstruction.
• It is preferable that the raising-lowering drive mechanism is disposed below the floor board, and an impact-absorbing member is provided on the upper face of the floor board.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that the height at which the floor board, where the feet of the occupant are placed, is provided can be appropriately adjusted with the raising-lowering drive mechanism provided below the floor board to maintain the seating position of the occupant in an appropriate state, and by providing the impact-absorbing member on the upper face of the floor board, it is possible to effectively protect the lower legs of the occupant during an automobile collision.
• It is preferable that the impact-absorbing member is disposed on the floor board across approximately the entire width of the automobile.
• With this configuration, a sufficient width is insured for the impact-absorbing member, which has the above function of absorbing the impact load, and thus the lower legs of the occupant can be effectively protected.
• It is preferable that a concave portion concave downward is formed in the front portion of the floor board, and the impact-absorbing member is disposed in the concave portion.
• With this configuration, even when the impact-absorbing member having a predetermined thickness is provided only in the front portion of the floor board, formation of a large step in height in the upper end face of the floor board is prevented, so it is possible to flatly form the upper end face, and when a load pushing the impact-absorbing member rearward has been applied during an automobile collision, rearward movement of the impact-absorbing member is prevented due to causing the rear end of the impact-absorbing member to make contact with the step formed in the rear end of the concave portion, so the installed state of the impact-absorbing member can be maintained.
• It is preferable that the automobile movable floor apparatus includes operating pedals operated by a driver, constituting at least an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, and provided above the toe board portion of the automobile body floor; and a foot rest provided to the side of those operating pedals; in which the front of the floor board extends out below the operating pedals; and an avoiding portion that avoids obstructing the foot rest is provided in a side portion of the floor board.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that it is possible to insure a sufficient area for providing the floor board while preventing the front of the floor board from obstructing the foot rest.
• It is preferable that a rear heat duct is provided in the automobile body floor that extends toward the rear of the automobile body from a side of a floor tunnel through an area below the floor board, and a cut-out is formed in a side portion of the floor board in order to avoid interference with the rear heat duct.
• With this configuration, there is the advantage that the side portion of the floor board is prevented from interfering with the rear heat duct, and it is possible to appropriately provide the rear heat duct while sufficiently insuring the widthwise dimension for the floor board.
• It is preferable that an automobile body floor mat is provided laid out on the automobile body floor and covering the upper face thereof; and a floor board mat, separate from the automobile body floor mat, is provided laid out on the floor board.
• With this configuration, the raising or lowering operation of the floor board is not hindered by the presence of the automobile body floor mat, so it is easily possible to allow the floor board mat that independently covers only the floor board to follow the raising or lowering operation of the floor board. As a result, by providing a floor mat (the automobile body floor mat and the floor board mat) laid out on both the automobile body floor and the floor board, it is possible for both an improvement in the outer appearance of the floor portion and smooth operation to raise or lower the floor board to be well achieved.
• It is preferable that the automobile body floor mat covers the upper face of the automobile body floor, including an area located below the floor board, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out so as to continuously cover that area and another area.
• When, in this manner, the area of the upper face of the automobile body floor located below the floor board is covered with the automobile body floor mat, and that region is covered continuous with other areas, there is the advantage that it is possible to prevent a large opening from being formed in the automobile body floor mat at a position below the floor board, and so it is possible to effectively prevent a situation in which foreign matter such as gravel intrudes between the automobile floor mat and the automobile body floor through that opening.
• It is preferable that the floor board is driven up or down in approximately the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out along vertical faces provided so as to extend in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of the floor board in the widthwise direction of the automobile.
• When, in this manner, the floor board is raised or lowered in the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out along the vertical faces extending in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of the floor board in the widthwise direction of the automobile, there is the advantage that it is possible to raise or lower the floor board while maintaining a small value for the space between the automobile body floor mat and both ends of the floor board, so it is possible to effectively prevent a situation in which foreign matter such as dust intrudes from that space, and it is possible to well maintain the outer appearance of the floor portion.
• It is preferable that the floor board is provided so as to cover an area between a floor tunnel provided in the center in the widthwise direction of the automobile body and a side sill provided in a side portion of the automobile body, and the vertical faces are formed by a side wall face of the floor tunnel and the side sill.
• With this configuration, it is possible to raise or lower the floor board while maintaining a small value for the space between both ends of the floor board provided between the side sill and the floor tunnel and the automobile body floor mat provided laid out along the side walls of the side sill and the floor tunnel. Also, the floor board can be provided so as to cover approximately the entire area in the widthwise direction between the side sill and the floor tunnel, so it is possible to insure a larger placement face on which the occupant's feet are placed.
• This application is based on 5 (five) Japanese patent Application Serial Nos. 2006-26054, 2006-27516, 2006-27517, 2006-27518, and 2006-37015, filed in Japan Patent Office, on February 02, February 03, February 03, February 03, and Feb. 14, 2006, respectively, and the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
• Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, defined in the following claims.

Claims (18)

1. An automobile movable floor apparatus comprising:

a floor board that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor;

a raising-lowering drive mechanism that raises or lowers the floor board, provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat;

a toe board portion sloping down to the rear; and

a floor base portion that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion (8), provided in the automobile body floor;

the floor board including:

a toe board corresponding portion that corresponds to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and

a floor base corresponding portion that corresponds to the floor base portion, and where the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion being formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.

2. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the front end of the toe board corresponding portion of the floor board is pivotably attached to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and the raising-lowering drive mechanism is configured so as to lift the rear of the floor base corresponding portion upward to place the floor base corresponding portion in a state sloping downward to the front.

3. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the floor board comprising a front side board including the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion, and a rear side board bendably connected to the rear end of the front side board via a connecting member, wherein the rear of the rear side board is supported such that the rear of the rear side board can slide in the front-rear direction of the automobile body along the floor base portion of the automobile body floor.

4. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the raising-lowering drive mechanism comprising a drive link whose tip end is connected to the rear of the floor base corresponding portion, and a link drive mechanism that, by moving the base end of the drive link forward or to the rear along the automobile body floor, erects or lays down the drive link to drive the floor board up or down.

5. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein a left and right pair of the drive links and the link drive mechanisms are provided, and driving force is transmitted to each of the link drive mechanisms via a driving force transmission mechanism from a single drive source.

6. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising:

a seat position adjustment mechanism that drives a seat cushion of the occupant seat in at least the front-rear direction; and

a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the seat position adjustment mechanism to the raising-lowering drive mechanism;

wherein the floor board is driven up or down by the raising-lowering drive mechanism in conjunction with the occupant seat driven in the front-rear direction by the seat position adjustment mechanism.

7. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein the driving force transmission mechanism comprising:

an input cable that obtains driving force from the drive source provided in the seat position adjustment mechanism and rotates around a shaft;

an output cable that rotates around a shaft according to the rotation of the input cable, thus transmitting driving force to the raising-lowering drive mechanism; and

a gear box in which the input cable and the output cable are connected such that the input cable and the output cable are operable in conjunction with each other.

8. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 7, wherein the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism comprising:

a deceleration gear mechanism that reduces the rotational velocity of the input cable; and

a transmission gear mechanism that transmits the driving force after deceleration to the output cable.

9. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 7, wherein the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism is provided protruding from the upper face of the automobile body floor, and is fixed to the cross member that supports the front end of the occupant seat or fixed to the automobile body floor in the vicinity thereof.

10. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the raising-lowering drive mechanism is disposed below the floor board, and an impact-absorbing member is provided on the upper face of the floor board.

11. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 10, wherein the impact-absorbing member is disposed on the floor board across approximately the entire width of the automobile.

12. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 11, wherein a concave portion concave downward is formed in the front portion of the floor board, and the impact-absorbing member is disposed in the concave portion.

13. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein: operating pedals operated by a driver, constituting at least an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal are provided above the toe board portion of the automobile body floor; and a foot rest is provided to the side of those operating pedals;

wherein the front of the floor board extends out below the operating pedals; and

an avoiding portion that avoids obstructing the foot rest is provided in a side portion of the floor board.

14. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein a rear heat duct is provided in the automobile body floor that extends toward the rear of the automobile body from a side of a floor tunnel through an area below the floor board, and a cut-out is formed in a side portion of the floor board in order to avoid interference with the rear heat duct.

15. The automobile movable floor apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising:

an automobile body floor mat provided laid out on the automobile body floor and covering the upper face thereof; and

a floor board mat, separate from the automobile body floor mat (60), provided laid out on the floor board.

16. The automobile floor apparatus according toclaim 15, wherein the automobile body floor mat covers the upper face of the automobile body floor, including an area located below the floor board, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out so as to continuously cover that area and another area.

17. The automobile floor apparatus according toclaim 15, wherein the floor board is driven up or down in approximately the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out along vertical faces and provided so as to extend in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of the floor board in the widthwise direction of the automobile.

18. The automobile floor apparatus according toclaim 17,

wherein the floor board is provided so as to cover an area between a floor tunnel provided in the center in the widthwise direction of the automobile body and a side sill provided in a side portion of the automobile body, and

the vertical faces and are formed by a side wall face of the floor tunnel and the side sill.

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